Lodge Road Metro stop, West Bromwich has had a make over with a difference.  Over the past week offenders made amends for their crimes by clearing the vegetation around the area.

Centro joined forces with Travel Midland Metro, Sandwell Police and Sandwell Community Payback after PC Andy Ward of the Greets Green & Lyng neighbourhood police team highlighted the issue of anti-social behaviour in the area to the West Bromwich Town Tasking meeting.

Vegetation including high bushes were cleared over two days in order to make the area more visible and to deter nuisance behaviour.

Cllr Ken Rushen, Centro’s lead member for rail and Metro operations, said:

“This is an excellent piece of teamwork between Centro, Travel Midlands Metro and the Sandwell Community Payback scheme and the results look good.  It’s great news that this work has had a practical effect in improving the area for both residents and passengers and to see offenders putting something back into the community.”

Martin Walton at Sandwell Community Payback commented:

“This project is a great example of partnership working as the work was completed just one week after the initial site visit.

“The offenders worked really hard to make a difference in this area.  Community Payback is a highly credible form of punishment for offenders; tough, challenging and highly visible to the public.  In excess of 53 000 hours of Community Payback have been completed on 280 individual projects”

PC Andy Ward, said:

“We are extremely please with the work that has been undertaken by the Sandwell Community Payback Team. We hope this makes a real difference to local residents and Metro users who use the pathway by Lodge Road.”